1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a housing for a TV camera, and more particularly to a housing for a TV camera, which is applied to an outdoor pan/tilt head and has a wiper at a front window thereof.
2. Description of Related Art
Conventionally, a remote-control pan/tilt head is used to remotely control operation of a TV camera over a telephone line, etc. when the TV camera is placed outdoors. The remote-control pan/tilt head includes a housing for the TV camera, and the housing protects the TV camera placed outdoors from rain, snow, dust, etc. The TV camera enclosed in the housing captures pictures through a transparent front window provided at the front of the housing.
The front window has a wiper for wiping off rain, dust, etc., from the front window to secure a field of view of the TV camera, and the front window may also have a conductive film heater for heating the front window to prevent adhesion of snow, frost, or the like. By the passage of an electric current through the conductive film heater, it heats the front window and melts the snow and the frost.
The conductive film heater, however, has a limited ability to heat. If a large amount of snow and/or frost covers the front window or the atmospheric temperature is extremely low; the conductive film heater cannot satisfactorily remove the snow and the frost from the front window. If the ability to heat of the conductive film heater is increased to the maximum, a large amount of electricity is consumed.
The wiper at the front window can somewhat wipe off the snow and the frost from the front window. After a certain amount of snow and/or frost covers the front window, however, the wiper cannot operate correctly to remove the snow and the frost from the front window.
Therefore, the operator must wait for the snow or the frost to melt naturally if a large amount of snow or frost covers to the front window. Alternatively, the operator must go to the pan/tilt head to remove the snow or the frost manually. Consequently, the operator misses a good opportunity to shoot.
In view of the foregoing, it is an object of the present invention to provide a housing for a TV camera, which prevents a large amount of snow and frost from adhering to a window of the housing if the TV camera is placed outdoors, and makes it possible to start shooting immediately as need arises.
To achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention is directed to a housing for a TV camera, comprising: a box for containing the TV camera, the box having a window through which the TV camera captures an image; a wiper for wiping the window; a motor for driving the wiper; a commanding device for commanding execution of an automatic wiping mode to automatically control the wiper; and a wiper controller for operating the wiper at predetermined time intervals by the motor in the automatic wiping mode.
According to the present invention, the housing for the TV camera with the wiper disposed at the window to secure the visual field of the TV camera stored therein, has the automatic wiping mode for automatically operating the wiper at the predetermined time intervals. Therefore, even if the TV camera with the housing is placed outdoors and is remained unused while the snow is falling or the temperature is low, it is possible to prevent a large amount of snow and frost from adhering to the window of the housing with only a small amount of electricity by executing the functions of the automatic wiping mode, thus securing a satisfactory field of view even at an unexpected imaging. Therefore, the operator never misses a good opportunity to shoot.
Preferably, the wiper controller reciprocates the wiper at least once in each of operations of the wiper at the predetermined time intervals. Moreover, the housing for the TV camera further comprises at least one of: a temperature sensor for sensing an atmospheric temperature or a temperature of the window, and a load measuring device for measuring a load applied to the motor; wherein the wiper controller automatically increases or decreases a number of wiper reciprocation times in each of the operations of the wiper in accordance with the atmospheric temperature or the temperature of the window sensed by the temperature sensor, or in accordance with the load measured by the load measuring apparatus.
Preferably, the housing for the TV camera further comprises: a washing device for jetting a washing liquid to the window; wherein the wiper controller drives the washing device to jet the washing liquid to the window when the wiper is driven.
According to the present invention, the washing liquid is jetted to the window in synchronism with the activation of the wiper in the automatic wiping mode. This enables the wiper to easily wipe off the snow and the frost from the window, and prevents the window from being scratched with dust, etc.
Preferably, the housing for the TV camera further comprises at least one of: a temperature sensor for sensing an atmospheric temperature or a temperature of the window, a water detector for detecting water on the window, a shooting operation detector for detecting that the TV camera is shooting, a manual operation detector for detecting that the housing is manually operated, and a load measuring device for measuring a load applied to the motor; wherein the wiper controller temporarily stops driving the wiper or finishes the automatic wiping mode when the atmospheric temperature or the temperature of the window sensed by the temperature sensor is above a preset temperature, when the water detector detects no water on the window, when the shooting operation detector detects that the TV camera is shooting, when the manual operation detector detects that the housing is manually operated, or when the load applied to the motor measured by the load measuring device is below a predetermined value.
Preferably, the housing for the TV camera further comprises at least one of: a temperature sensor for sensing an atmospheric temperature or a temperature of the window, and a water detector for detecting water on the window; wherein the wiper controller starts the automatic wiping mode when the atmospheric temperature or the temperature of the window sensed by the temperature sensor is below a preset temperature, or when the water detector detects water on the window.
Preferably, the housing for the TV camera further comprises at least one of: a temperature sensor for sensing an atmospheric temperature or a temperature of the window, and a water detector for detecting water on the window; wherein the wiper controller automatically increases or decreases the predetermined time intervals in accordance with the atmospheric temperature or the temperature of the window sensed by the temperature sensor, or in accordance with presence of the water on the window detected by the water detector.
According to the present invention, the wiper may be driven in the automatic wiping mode in accordance with not only the time but also the atmospheric temperature or the temperature of the window, the presence of water on the window, or the like. Even in the automatic wiping mode, the wiper is only driven as the need arises when the temperature is relatively low, the water is detected, or the like. This reduces the consumption of electricity.